Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to offshore oil and gas production operations. More particularly, embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for coupling risers to floating offshore production vessels.
During offshore oil and gas production operations, risers are coupled to a floating offshore platform (e.g., semi-submersible platform) and extend subsea to a production fluid source disposed at or proximal the sea floor (e.g., a subsea well, a manifold, a subsea pipeline, etc.). In some circumstances, particularly in deep water applications, the weight of the riser results in a significant amount of tension in the upper section of the riser disposed above the surface of the water and coupled to the platform. For steel catenary risers (SCRs), such tension can induce significant bending moments at the connection point(s) between the riser and offshore platform. Movement of the floating platform in response to dynamic loads (e.g., movements caused by wind, waves, and other phenomena) can cause additional tension and bending in the riser which is borne at these connection point(s).